The explosive population growth in Northern Virginia
over the last 10 years has placed Dominion's ability to meet its responsibility
for its Northern Virginia customers increasingly at risk.
Dominion is committed to providing
reliable service to its customers now and in the future. The proposed 500 kV
transmission line is essential to Dominion Virginia Power’s
ability to maintain system reliability and support future growth in Northern
Virginia.
Electrical demand in Northern Virginia has grown by 40 percent
in the past 10 years, and it is expected to grow by an additional 8 percent
by 2011. At peak hours, local power stations can supply less than 50 percent
of the electricity that customers demand. This shortage will only become more
severe as Northern Virginia adds high technology data centers to its economy,
as the Army begins a planned doubling of the size of Fort Belvoir, and as Washington-Dulles
International Airport and Tysons Corner continue their planned expansions.
Without added transmission capacity, the region will face
potential blackouts by 2011. These blackouts could carry serious consequences
for the region's economy and quality of life.
Dominion has a legal responsibility to provide the public
with a reliable source of electrical power. To overcome this risk, Dominion
has proposed a new 40-mile overhead transmission line through an area extending
from the Meadow Brook substation in Frederick County to its Loudoun substation.
The Loudoun substation serves approximately 30 percent of
Northern Virginia’s electrical
demand and is the company’s most critical link in averting future power
disruptions. Dominion’s justification for the line has been endorsed
by PJM, the transmission company for the northeastern United States and other
independent analysts.
The full length of the line is 240 miles and would
connect Allegheny's
Prexy substation in southern Pennsylvania with Dominion's Loudoun Substation
in southwest Loudoun County. The new transmission line is needed by 2011 and
preliminary cost estimates for the total project are in excess of $850 million.
Dominion's portion of the line is
only 40 miles long.
Dominion understands that many residents have concerns
about this proposed transmission line. Dominion is committed to working with
these residents — and
their elected representatives — to choose a site for this project that
will minimize its impact on the community and the rich natural resources of
the region. The company has already reached out to concerned citizens, leading
environmentalists, and local governments to answer questions and furnish information
about the process. We will continue to embrace a collaborative approach to
planning this urgently needed public project.
Contact Us
For more information, or to comment about this project, send
us an e-mail.
